Storm Cat Season Sells For $500,000

A single no-guarantee season to leading sire Storm Cat brought $500,000 to top the Stallion Access auction at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's Newtown Paddocks Nov. 10. The top price was $100,000 above the scheduled fee of $400,000 next year for the stallion, who stands at W.T. Young's Overbrook Farm near Lexington.

Storm Cat is this year's leading sire in North America by progeny earnings. Through early November, his offspring had earned $8,953,359. Giant's Causeway, who finished second in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), leads the way with earnings of $2,948,727. Storm Cat finished 1999 as North America's leading sire. He was also the leading juvenile sire for the second year in a row, and the fifth time overall.

A share in Two Punch, which offered the opportunity to breed two mares per year to the stallion, topped the list of five stallion shares being offered. The share in Two Punch brought $44,000. Two Punch, who stands at North View Stallion Station near Chesapeake City, Md., has progeny earnings of $2,570,386 and has one current black-type winner, Smolderin Heart.

A total of 32 no-guarantee seasons for 2001 were sold during the auction for a gross of $1,796,400 and average of $56,138. A total of 16 failed to meet their reserves. Last year, 46 no-guarantee seasons grossed $2,034,900 and averaged $44,237.

Stallion Access does not reveal the identities of buyers at its auctions. The Ontario Jockey